Giulia Terracciano, Organisational Psychologist at Hermes Consulting, for the Youth & Careers section of Harvard Business Review Italia
On my first day at the company, I felt like I was wearing a coat that was far too big. Everyone else spoke in technical terms, effortlessly navigating internal dynamics, acronyms, and rituals.
I felt like an outsider. I listened, nodded, and took notes. Inside, though, a quiet voice kept telling me: “You are nobody here yet”.
For months, I believed my only contribution lay in absorbing as much as possible from senior colleagues: learning, adapting, earning my place.
Then something shifted.
It happened during a meeting, when I asked a question that challenged a process everyone simply took for granted.
A manager turned around and said: “You know what? You’re right”.
That day, I realised that I didn’t have to become like them to bring value: I needed to remain myself. To offer my fresh perspective, my naive questions, my own view of the world.
From that moment, an unexpected form of collaboration was born: I began engaging regularly with a senior colleague. I would explain trends and language used “out there”, while she shared internal organisational logic and helped me interpret subtle undercurrents. It was mentoring. But it was also reverse mentoring. It was an alliance.
Today, I know that young people entering an organisation shouldn’t just be there to learn. They also need to contribute: with their unique perspective, their inner pace, and the generative restlessness of someone asking “why do we do it this way?”.
Innovation stems precisely from this cross-pollination.
Here are three practical recommendations to turn mentoring into a genuine opportunity for growth:
- Suspend judgement, of both yourself and others: you don’t need to have all the answers straight away. You just need to stay open. Rather than trying to prove your worth, practise observing and reflecting back what you see. Even your questions can generate real value.
- Ask to work alongside someone, not just be directed: offer to act as a sounding board for a senior colleague on a tangible project. It is not merely a chance to learn: it is an opportunity to provide fresh insights drawn from your outside perspective.
- Share what surprises you: what seems unusual to you is often business as usual for the company. Share your observations constructively, and you will see how they can open up avenues for renewal. A sense of wonder is a strategic asset: treat it accordingly.
In today’s landscape, organisations need generations that listen to one another, not roles that simply tolerate each other.
Mentoring is extraordinarily effective when it is reciprocal and driven by cultural intent rather than just training—sparking lasting shifts in behaviour and mindset across the organisation (a true evolution in “the way we work”).
A deliberate choice stating: everyone here has something to offer and something to learn. You included.
Read the full article published on Harvard Business Review Italia
